Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that there is election monitoring (a) in the run-up to and (b) during the forthcoming general election in Bangladesh.

The UK is supporting election monitoring in the run up to the general election in Bangladesh through a Department for International Development project that funds domestic observers to monitor the political environment around the election, including observation of Sub-national elections. The project will also provide local observers to monitor conduct on election day. We have not yet received a request from the Government of Bangladesh to deploy UK election monitors during the general election. Should such an invitation be received, we would consider whether it is appropriate and safe to deploy UK officials. We will continue to engage with the Government of Bangladesh, the Election Commission, and political parties on the need for robust democratic mechanisms and the proper application of election law during the general election.